What is behind the Saudi-UAE rupture in Yemen?

Inside StoryIt all began more than a decade ago. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were the pillars of a coalition created to fight the Houthis who had taken control in Yemen.Over the years, that mission failed. Then the UAE set out to pursue its own long-term interests by supporting and arming a group called the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the south of Yemen.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders slam Israel’s Gaza banlist 2 of 3Hezbollah weapons deadline: What’s next for Lebanon amid Israeli strikes?list 3 of 3Finland seizes ship sailing from Russia after suspected cable sabotageend of listBut Riyadh stepped in to disrupt what it saw as a national security threat after the STC seized control of areas close to its borders.The UAE was given 24 hours’ notice to withdraw – an ultimatum it agreed to.So what does all this mean for the future of Yemen?Presenter: James BaysGuests:Abdul-aziz Al Ghashian – Senior non-resident fellow at Gulf International ForumAlkharder Sulaiman – Southern Transitional Council spokesmanAndreas Krieg – Associate professor at the School of Security Studies, King’s College LondonPublished On 31 Dec 2025